Farmers keep close eye on crops as freezing temperatures impact Florida
Farmers keep close eye on crops as freezing temperatures impact Florida
Throughout Saturday night’s freezing temps, the sprinklers were running at Oak Haven Farms in Sorrento.
SORRENTO, Fla. - Throughout Saturday night’s freezing temps, the sprinklers were running at Oak Haven Farms in Sorrento.
"Any time a human gets wet, you get cold," owner Harry Stauderman said, "but plants are not like that.
As the water freezes, the delicate berries, leaves, flowers get trapped in crystals of ice.
The farmers say the coating of ice actually protects the blossoms and the strawberries, keeping them at a constant 32 degrees Fahrenheit, which they say is safe for the plants.
They say temps 31 degrees and lower will kill the strawberry's blossoms.
Those blossoms are where the berries grow.
"If we lose the blossoms a month from now, we don't have any berries," Stauderman said.
Water vapor from the sprinklers keeps the heat closer to the ground, and the plants coated safely in ice stay just as alive and colorful as they did before the cold.
"Once the coating of ice melts off the strawberry," Stauderman said, "the ripe berries are ready to pick and eat today."
The farm's strawberries are all for visitors to pick.
Visitors say whatever the folks at Oak Haven are doing to protect their crops is OK by them.
"The strawberries in the supermarket have lost their flavor," said Anjanette Lannon, who was visiting the farm."These are what I remember growing up with as a kid."
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